The invention provides a significant development in the field of headwear which has until now not been previously recognized. Until now, articles of headwear have been purposed primarily on their usefulness as coverings for the head to provide shade or for reasons of fashion. Only in an incidental manner have some items, such as baseball caps, included the limited presence of indicia communicating various concepts, for example showing fan loyalty (e.g. sports team names) or brand advertising.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,418,198 (Neppell) discloses a hat that can be adjusted to fit the size of the head. It has a brim with bendable tongues formed as part of the brim that fit into slits in the crown portion, which is a flat piece. Radial slits are cut into the front and rear inner edges of the brim.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,996,254 (Parlow) discloses a hat formed as a single, flat piece made from a semi-rigid material such as cardboard. The semi-rigid material is capable of being slit in a simple die-cutting operation to form a flat piece (blank) which can be distorted into a hat shape, as shown below. The slits are arranged in the center of the blank to form the crown of the hat. The slits form a honeycomb-like lattice in the crown when it is fully extended.
U.S. Pat. No. 548,846 (Bianchetti) describes a collapsible circular headpiece having a perimeter formed from coiled spring wire formed into a circular loop. The brim portion is covered in fabric, mesh or protective material, and it is connected to a ridge that defines an open center in the middle of the headpiece. Additional fabric or protective material can be attached by fasteners to the outer edge of the brim to form a drape that falls vertically over the head and neck of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,486,098 (McGaffey) discloses a sunshade for hats with a flat, straight brim, such as a straw hat. It functions to extend the brim of the hat to provide additional shade for the wearer. The sunshade is made from a single piece of material, such as paper, and is cut in a circular brim configuration with a circular opening at the center, and with an extended, foldable piece that is cut in the identical dimensions of a portion of the brim so that when it is folded under the brim it forms a mirror image and conforms to the shape of the brim.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,682,666 (Mayer) describes a conical paper hat fully covering the head of the wearer and having an erect portion that extends upward and rearward from the apex or top point of the hat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,590 (Haber) discloses a visor-cap die-cut from a single piece of material that includes a front bill portion, and a folded display panel that is elevated above the bill.
U.S. Pat. No. 574,325 (Hartsock) describes a hat mark consists of a discrete circular card with identifying information printed on it, which is then inserted into a metal label holder, which is in turn intended to be inserted into the sweat band of a hat.
The prior art has not satisfied the need for a lightweight, one-piece wearable headpiece that can suitably carry and convey a large amount of information while at the same time providing shade cover and fashion enhancement to the wearer.